Muller-Bruhl, Helmut

Helmut Müller-Bruhl ( German: Helmut Peter Müller-Brühl ; July 28, 1933 , Bruhl (Rhineland) - January 2, 2012 , Bruhl (Rhineland) ) - German conductor .

He studied at the gymnasium in Cologne , studied violin under the direction of Ernst Nippes, the first viola of the Gürzenich Orchestra , and played in the school orchestra. Then he began to study philosophy and theology in Bonn , but tuberculosis , which had opened at the young man , prevented him from studying, and Müller-Bruhl was sent to Switzerland, to the high-mountain Benedictine abbey in Disentis . Having improved his health somewhat, he began to practice violin at the Lucerne Conservatory under the direction of Wolfgang Schneiderhan . Then he returned to Bonn University and continued his studies in theology with Joseph Ratzinger and Heinrich Lutzeller , as well as musicology with Joseph Schmidt-Gerg , especially interested in 18th century music.

In 1958 , Müller-Bruhl gathered under his leadership the Cologne Youth String Ensemble in order to give concerts in Bruhl Castle. The concert program was successful, in 1960 , under the direction of Müller-Bruhl, adult musicians from various professional groups of the region gathered, and in 1963 he was invited to head the Cologne Chamber Orchestra and remained its leader until 2008 . Interest in authentic performance led to the collaboration of Müller-Bruhl with such musicians as Reinhard Goebel , Rainer Kussmaul and others. At the same time, at the invitation of Muller-Bruhl in Cologne, Maxim Vengerov , Olli Mustonen , Frank Peter Zimmerman and other notable performers soloed with the chamber orchestra. Under the direction of Müller-Bruhl, the Cologne Chamber Orchestra recorded all orchestral works by Johann Sebastian Bach , all instrumental concerts by Joseph Haydn and others.